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Accepted wisdom has it that the world’s first whiskies were distilled in Scotland more than five centuries ago when its then-king, James IV, ordered 500 bottles of aqua vitae (water of life) from a local monastery. In the intervening half-millennium, Scotch has become beloved the world over, with the global market valued at a staggering US$1.5 billion in 2020. Yet, some 6,000km-distant from the Highlands where it all began, an entirely different whisky has captured the hearts of discerning drinkers – bourbon, the tipple typically titled ‘America’s native spirit’.&nbsp;
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56560" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon.jpg" alt="Bourbon Vivants How to enjoy the true spirit of the US...Blanton's_Bourbon" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Blantons_Bourbon-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /></a>
The exact origin of bourbon, however, remains shrouded in controversy. While some maintain it was created by the Samuels family in Kentucky in 1783, others believe it was invented by Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister, in 1789 as a variant of moonshine recipes.&nbsp;
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56558" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery.jpg" alt="Bourbon Vivants How to enjoy the true spirit of the US...ASW_Distillery__Atlanta's_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...ASW_Distillery__Atlantas_hometown_whiskey_bourbon_craft_distillery-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Still another vocal lobby holds that it evolved ‘in barrel’ from one of the existing whiskies of the day, with its name said to be derived from Kentucky’s Bourbon County, home to a popular port for the shipping of various imported spirits. Wherever the truth may lie, bourbon is now one of the state’s most famed exports, with local distillers still accounting for 95 percent of all production.&nbsp;
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56559" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house.jpg" alt="Bourbon Vivants How to enjoy the true spirit of the US...Beam_Rack house" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Beam_Rack-house-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
This near monopoly may, in part, be down to the strict legal definition of what can officially be sold as ‘bourbon’, with the requirements still vigorously enforced to this day. Firstly, the spirit must be made in the United States and from a mash consisting of at least 51-percent corn. It must also be aged in new charred American oak barrels (whereas other whisky varietals, such as Scotch, are typically aged in barrels that have previously held port or wine) with ageing beginning at no more than 125 proof. The final product must then be bottled at 80 to 160 proof with no flavouring, colouring or other additives allowed aside from the basic ingredients&nbsp; –&nbsp; malted barley, rye, wheat and water.&nbsp;
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56565" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch.jpg" alt="Bourbon Vivants How to enjoy the true spirit of the US..scotch" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US..scotch-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Despite the simplicity of its ingredients, bourbon comes in a surprisingly large array of flavours, ranging from floral and fruity iterations to spicy, dry concoctions and pretty much everything in between. While the ageing process all but guarantees that such spirits will be sweet to a certain degree, this can easily be enhanced by varying either the barrel dwell time or the exact composition of the mash, options that can impart notes of vanilla, caramel, honey or even chocolate as desired. Any floral flavours, meanwhile, are typically by-products of the yeast used during the fermentation process, which can yield hints of honeysuckle, rose petals or herbs. As a general rule of thumb for the unwary and uninitiated – the darker the bourbon, the higher the alcohol content.&nbsp;
<blockquote>
&#8220;As a rule of thumb for the unwary&nbsp;— the darker the bourbon, the higher the alcohol content&#8221;
</blockquote>
As with Scotch, bourbon can be served in countless different ways. While classicists often enjoy it neat, on the rocks or maybe with just a dash of water, cocktail aficionados have, meanwhile, incorporated it into any number of iconic tipples, most notably Manhattans, Old Fashioneds or Mint Juleps, with the latter’s trifecta of bourbon, mint and sugar still a particular favourite in Kentucky, bourbon’s original stomping ground. Indeed, there are varieties of this flexible, flavourful alcohol capable of suiting any mood or fitting any occasion, which no doubt explains why it remains such a perennial favourite in the US and far, far beyond.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage-.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56563" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage-.jpg" alt="Bourbon Vivants How to enjoy the true spirit of the US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage-" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage-.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Bourbon-Vivants-How-to-enjoy-the-true-spirit-of-the-US...Suntory-whiskey-blanton-bourbon-liqueur-distilled-beverage--600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Mint Julep
Ingredients:&nbsp;
1. 4-5 sprigs of mint (leaves only)
2. 2 sugar cubes
3. 2.5 oz bourbon
4. Mint sprig for garnish
Instructions:
1.&nbsp;Place mint and sugar cubes in glass
2.&nbsp;Muddle well to dissolve sugar and release mint aroma
3.&nbsp;Add bourbon
4.&nbsp;Fill glass with crushed ice and stir well
5.&nbsp;Garnish with mint sprig and serve

Bourbon: Exploring the charming history of America’s native spirit

A year ago this very month, an extremely rare first-edition Yamazaki 50-year-old sold at auction for nearly HK$2.7 million, making it the most expensive single bottle of Japanese whisky ever sold. Now that record has been broken. In some consolation to the original record holder, though, it has merely been taken over by another bottle from the same batch of 2005 Yamazaki 50-year-olds, with the winning bid this time fetching some HK$3.4 million.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-47791 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy.jpg" alt="yamazaki" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lot-781-Yamazaki-50-copy-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
As you might inevitably assume, there is something truly special about this particular edition of the renowned Japanese spirit, with a number of factors accounting for its unprecedented valuation. For one thing, as it was placed in mizunara (Japanese oak) casks to mature way back in 1955, it is the oldest extant Yamazaki vintage. For another, Suntory, the distiller behind this much-sought-after spirit, produced only 50 bottles of this whisky when it was released 14 years ago.
Adding to its quality and rarity, it has been made wholly from Japanese barley and fermented using voltaic water sourced from below the bamboo forest neighbouring the Yamazaki distillery. As to this latest record, is it set to endure? Well, with 48 bottles still lurking out there, it would be rash to assume we’ve seen the last of this particular whisky…

50-year-old Yamazaki auctions for nearly HK$3.4 million

Mortlach – a single-malt Scotch whiskey&nbsp;with a legacy of nearly 200 years – has just&nbsp;unleashed the latest beast from its century old&nbsp;distillery – the Mortlach 16 Year Old.&nbsp;
Located in Dufftown, the town that is Speyside’s&nbsp;whisky capital today, <a href="https://maltymates.com/en/whiskynews/mortlach-the-best-kept-secret-in-scotch/">Mortlach</a> was the first distillery&nbsp;to hold a licence in 1823. However, it was in 1896 when&nbsp;Dr. Alexander Cowie assumed control that he devised a&nbsp;unique distilling process known as ‘The Way’. The 2.81&nbsp;distilled ‘cut’ that this produces distinguishes Mortlach&nbsp;from all other malt whiskies.&nbsp;
A century later, still following ‘The Way’, the Mortlach&nbsp;16 Year Old has been unveiled quickly making its way into&nbsp;whisky connoisseurs’ hearts.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-43627 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail.jpg" alt="mortlach" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/thumbnail-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
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Bourbon: Exploring the charming history of America’s native spirit

50-year-old Yamazaki auctions for nearly HK$3.4 million

Sexy Beast: The return of the Mortlach single malt scotch whiskey 16 years